Making Life Easier

My Big Beautiful List

of Baby Must Haves!

The Foundation to Everything

Berkey Water Filtration System

Navigating the world of non-toxic products can be tricky. The Berkey is something that our entire family loves. The kids think it’s beautiful sitting atop the counter, but this is much more than that. You see, our drinking water is contaminated.. all of it, no matter where you live in America. If you’ve chosen bottled water, unfortunately, most of the companies who bottle water do so with plastic and that means that there are plastic particles in the water which is very unhealthy for us to drink. The Berkey Water Filtration System takes your tap water and turns it into healthy drinking water by eliminating toxins. We use our Berkey for cooking, baby bottles and drinking. The water tastes great and it’s a great feeling to know that we are drinking the purest water on the planet.

Night Time

DockATot

This is an amazing co-sleeping pillow that has made my life as a Mom so much easier. I used a DockATot with my 5th baby, and I wish I had discovered this innovative sleeping product sooner. When I found out that I was having twins, the Deluxe+ DockATot was the very first thing on my list of must haves. I love these sleeping pods because they allow for safe co-sleeping, daytime naps and create a safe space for baby while Mama gets her “me time.” I have used my Docks in various scenarios including; when I want to take a relaxing bath, I can have the little ones near me in the bathroom on the floor to rest. They can also sleep in my bed with me, or lounge outside to get some sunshine on a warm day. The DockATot is OEKO-TEX Certified, harmful chemical free, non-heat harboring and is made in Europe. It passes all of the necessary standards for baby products and is a favorite for Moms around the world. The DockATot Deluxe+ is machine washable and available to babies from birth to around 8/9 months depending upon baby’s mobility and size.

Embe Babies Swaddle

This is the world’s first legs in, legs out swaddle blanket for babies! Our twins were introduced to these beautiful swaddle blankets from a very young age and what I found is that babies really do love to kick their feet. What a lot of us don’t know (myself included until I discovered this product) is that some swaddle blankets can be too tight around the hips which could lead to hip dysplasia. This is a serious problem among young infants and I’m happy to help spread the word about Embe Babies because their main goal is to help babies to sleep soundly and grow properly. This swaddle allows for baby’s legs to be in or out of the sack, with their arms swaddled at all times. This allows to restrict the number of startle reflexes during a night’s sleep but still allows baby to stretch and move naturally.

Playtime

Regalo Baby MyPlay

Safety is a top priority in my house, and with seven little children running around and letting their imaginations run free, it was imperative that I found something that kept the twins safe from their very huggy big brothers. (Sometimes they just love a little too hard, and instead of telling them no… I’ve found that it is much gentler to just have physical boundaries.) This soft play yard is the perfect option because it is soft, on the ground and it is large enough for more than just two babies to play. As our babies are becoming mobile, it’s important that I gave them room to grow, but also keep them away from danger. We get a ton of use out of this playpen in the summer months to allow the twins to have sunshine but to also keep them away from the water play that is consistent in our backyard!

Clothing

Apple Park Kids

Organic all the way through! Organic isn’t limited to just food. As I struggle with my thyroid condition, a major component to healing is limiting toxins from my life, as well as the lives of my family members. I choose Apple Park clothing for our babies because their products are organic, they’re safe and of course, they are absolutely beautiful! In addition to clothing, you can find many other products by Apple Park which include; Blankets, Toys (also non-toxic) and books to help you and your baby bond. I preferred Apple Park Kids baby clothes with my last baby and will continue to use this brand with the twins as they grow up!

Bath Time

Blooming Bath

Out and About

Apple Park Kids

Organic all the way through! Organic isn’t limited to just food. As I struggle with my thyroid condition, a major component to healing is limiting toxins from my life, as well as the lives of my family members. I choose Apple Park clothing for our babies because their products are organic, they’re safe and of course, they are absolutely beautiful! In addition to clothing, you can find many other products by Apple Park which include; Blankets, Toys (also non-toxic) and books to help you and your baby bond. I preferred Apple Park Kids baby clothes with my last baby and will continue to use this brand with the twins as they grow up!

Cozy Covers

These are fantastic for babies who are born at any point in the year. Initially, I wanted these covers because my babies were coming during the winter time, but I used the covers well into the summer. The Cozy Covers can shield your baby from the cold, wind, rain or snow. Most importantly, you can zip up the compartments to shield baby from the lurking germs at all of those new baby doctor’s appointments (we all see that one family who is clearly sick, but still sitting in the well-baby room.. yeah we see you!) Anyway, these are also great for keeping people away from your new baby. We all love cute babies but if you’re like me, you don’t want people touching.. or kissing.. the babies when they’re brand new! So these serve many purposes, beyond what the packaging reads. The Cozy Covers attach to the car seats by way of elastic around the edges of the material. There is a little window to see the baby (I usually leave the window open while driving) and then the two zippers make for the perfect size opening to take the baby out or put him or her into the car seat.

Diapering

Nora’s Nursery Cloth Diapers

Feeding

Spectra Baby Breast Pump

I’ve tried 3 different breast pump brands over the years and the Spectra Pump is my favorite. I was hesitant to use this one at first, but after the lactation consultant at the hospital recommended this one – I decided to try it. I had never seen a pump look so fun before, usually the other ones actually look like medical devices so this was something new to me! There are several things that I love about the Spectra pumps, first – they’re hospital grade. So for me being an exclusively pumping Mom, I needed something that was going to work, and well. I was very surprised with the power of this little thing and preferred it over the pump at the hospital even! This pump also remembers your settings, so when you initiate a pumping session, this pump already knows how you’d like to get started. There is a night light in the handle of the pump which is just genius especially when you’re pumping next to a sleeping husband (or babies.) I also loved that you could see how many hours were on the pump, so if you’re buying used or selling yours, you know how to price it and what is a fair deal!